Retired General Exposes Alleged High-Level Sabotage in Nigeria’s Anti-Terrorism Efforts

In an explosive open letter to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, retired Major General Danjuma Ali-Keffi has unveiled shocking claims of systemic retaliation against military officers who exposed corruption linked to Boko Haram. The decorated officer, who once led Nigeria’s 1 Division and served as General Officer Commanding (GOC), detailed his abrupt downfall after a landmark counter-terrorism achievement: capturing the purported “real leader” of Boko Haram and dismantling its financial networks.

Appointed to spearhead “Operation Service Wide,” a presidential counter-terrorism initiative, Ali-Keffi’s task force reportedly identified and arrested high-profile insurgents while tracing terror financing to senior government officials, military personnel, and banking institutions. “Our breakthroughs threatened powerful elites,” he wrote, alleging that his team’s discoveries triggered a coordinated backlash. Instead of commendation, he faced forced retirement in 2021, followed by arrest and 64 days in solitary confinement.

The letter also casts suspicion on the 2021 plane crash that killed Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, then Chief of Army Staff. According to Ali-Keffi, Attahiru had endorsed Operation Service Wide and vowed to pursue terror financiers before his death. The retired general urged Tinubu to reopen investigations into the crash, hinting it may have been orchestrated to stifle accountability.

Ali-Keffi’s revelations have reignited debates about Nigeria’s troubled anti-terrorism campaigns. Civil society groups and lawmakers are demanding transparency, questioning why internal efforts to combat insurgency face suppression. While the government remains silent, the allegations spotlight a grim paradox: those targeting terrorism risk being targeted themselves by shadowy networks within the state.

The case raises urgent concerns about institutional integrity. If proven true, Ali-Keffi’s account suggests Nigeria’s security apparatus is compromised not by external enemies, but by internal actors profiting from chaos. As public pressure mounts, the Tinubu administration faces a pivotal test: confront these claims head-on or risk further erosion of trust in the nation’s fight against terror.

The stakes are immense. For citizens enduring decades of violence, Ali-Keffi’s story underscores a haunting question: Who truly controls the war on terror—and who benefits from its endless continuation?